Ireland to consider renewed lockdown advice from health chiefs

The Irish government is considering introducing more coronavirus curbs, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Friday, after local media reported that health chiefs had renewed calls for a second national lockdown. The government rejected a surprise recommendation by health chiefs to enter Europe’s first major second-wave national lockdown 11 days ago, instead tightening restrictions, including a nationwide closure of all indoor restaurant dining. Cases are now growing at a faster pace and Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said this week that his team had not retracted its lockdown advice. Holohan called for a jump to the highest level of COVID-19 curbs, Level 5, for six weeks in a letter to government, a number of local media reported.